Digital and online technologies account for more than half of Japan’s top 10 talent trends for 2018 with candidates in these areas set to remain in short supply. This is just one of the top 10 talent trends for 2018, according to recruiting experts Hays.
“Digital technologies are integral to the way most industries operate in contemporary Japan from driving sales and customer engagement to innovation, cost efficiencies and reputation management and we are seeing this reflected in hiring trends,” says Marc Burrage, Managing Director for Hays in Japan.
“In the retail sector for example, all major stores have an online presence in Japan that is driving a need for talent to help them win in the e-commerce space. We have also noted that 60 per cent of all new marketing roles are now digital-related. With the Olympics only around the corner in 2020, we expect digital marketing to continue to ramp up in Japan,” says Marc.
“We are also seeing innovation across a wide variety of emerging technologies from Internet of Things and artificial intelligence to virtual reality and robotics. Japanese companies are well aware of the investments being made elsewhere in Asia in all these areas and for the need to invest in top talent,” he says.
“Cyber security is also a critical hiring area reflecting a global trend. Cyber security capabilities can make or break a company, yet finding specialist talent locally remains a significant challenge.”
“Across digital but also a range of other sectors, we are seeing high demand for candidates who are bilingual, comfortable with the Japanese work culture and able to continually adapt and expand their skill sets to stay relevant to fast changing industries.”
“It’s a potent mix given Japan’s aging population and the challenges organisations face in hiring from overseas. To compete for the best candidates in 2018 across a growing list of talent short areas, employers will need to stay open on salary in 2018, but also non-financial benefits too such as more flexible work options,” says Marc.
Hays Top 10 talent trends for 2018 in Japan are:
1. Digital Marketing
Across the marketing recruitment market, 60 per cent of all new job openings will be digital-related in 2018. Companies in a wide range of industries are looking to understand their customers and create targeted campaigns using online platforms. Candidates in highest demand will include marketers with a passion for FinTech. Candidates who will switch jobs in 2018 also know their worth and will command significant salary increases to move roles in 2018.
2. E-Commerce Manager
E-commerce Managers with experience in using digital to build and leverage customer relationships to drive sales and increase market share are in huge demand by firms opening online stores and from those that are investing further in their existing digital retail operations.
3. Cybersecurity
2018 will see cybersecurity become a hotbed for recruitment throughout the whole of 2018. Cybersecurity vendors, consulting, financial services and Life Sciences are all sectors that are on the lookout for talent to combat the threat cyber-attacks poses to their business operations.
4. Big Data
Hiring activity will also be quite active in the field of Big Data with a need to hire experienced talent in the areas of Business Intelligence, Data Analytics and Data Science. This is due to a drive by many companies in Japan looking to better understand and leverage their large extensive data sets to inform business strategies from marketing and sales to procurement and HR.
5. Mobile App
The gaming and mobile payment industries are continuing to expand rapidly in Japan as companies look to provide gaming applications and flexible secure payments systems on a mobile platform. The Japan market is now fighting hard to catch up with Mainland China, which is particularly strong in the mobile app payment space. We expect upward salary pressure in 2018 for Mobile Application Engineers with specific software skills.
6. Financial Services Developers
The Japanese financial market will see a marked increase in the number of development roles compared to recent years. We view this trend as a sign that the financial market is significantly picking up in Japan as local development projects are usually driven by increases in volume of trading and financial services.
7. Bilingual speakers in short supply
It is well documented about Japan’s candidate shortage problem and this will cause further concern to companies in 2018. Employers are constantly competing for the same hard to find candidates that possess the key ingredient that many are looking for, bilingual speaking. None of this concerns candidates on the move as they can expect to be offered competitive salaries and excellent career opportunities as employers look to outdo each other in attracting talent.
8. Cost cutting exercise continue to take place
With candidate shortages in several areas, it can therefore be a surprise to hear that some firms will implement plans to downsize and lay off workers. We expect there will be a number of lay-offs in the Accounting and Finance sector.
9. Increased demand for all-rounded candidates
All rounded candidates with management and financial accounting experience will be on the radar of many companies in 2018 as some roles in specific industries become consolidated into one. Executives today are often not as well-rounded, and that can be due to many reasons. Companies are aware of this and when comes to hiring replacements, they often look for candidates with all rounded skills.
10. Growth in outsourcing
Companies continue to focus on cost reduction for business growth making outsourcing an attractive option to pursue in 2018 in several industries.